Aspects of the invention relates generally to a system and method for creating an interactive expandable multimedia application, and more specifically to creating an interactive expandable multimedia educational tutorial and training module via a virtual whiteboard.
Virtual whiteboard computer systems allow participants in mutually disparate geographical locations to participate in a collaborative activity in real time. Generally each participant has access to a computer means that is networked with computers of other participants. A display device accessible to each participant acts as a “virtual whiteboard” allowing the participants to submit and receive drawings and alternative graphical or other information. For example, each participant may have a copy of a common drawing on his or her virtual whiteboard, and can edit or otherwise amend that drawing, such markups being immediately transmitted to the other participants to maintain in a consistent state the common drawing. These conventional virtual whiteboard systems are commonly used in educational environments, to facilitate a transfer of information from a teacher to a student, and in group discussions such as business meetings, where ideas need to be communicated between participants. The virtual whiteboard provides a convenient surface on which concepts can be graphically expressed, by way of notes, drawings, charts, and the like.
Conventional virtual whiteboard systems also provide training and educational tutorials that can be delivered through the Internet, as well as through offline software and analog or digital audio/video media. However, conventional whiteboard systems deliver virtually identical content to all users no matter the platform for each user. Thus, these conventional virtual whiteboard cannot properly address a vast array of needs and/or questions a user may have because of the limited flexibility of these conventional virtual whiteboard systems. For example, a user may require a definition of a specific term used in an educational tutorial, while another user may require several concepts in a tutorial explained in greater depth. However, conventional virtual whiteboard systems do not allow the ability for each user to interact with the virtual whiteboard system on this level.